Determinants of pregnancy termination among women of reproductive age in Uganda

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of pregnancy termination and its associated factors among women of reproductive age in Uganda. This study used the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey data to examine the association between pregnancy termination and selected demographic, socio-economic, and behavioral factors. Women in the age group 15-49 who had terminated pregnancy from 2011 to 2016 were included. The data were analyzed using Stata version 15. Frequency distributions of the respondents were generated at the first level of analysis. Cross tabulations were done and a chi square test was used to determine initial associations between pregnancy termination and each explanatory variable. The study applied a binary logistic regression model to examine the factors associated with termination of pregnancy. More than one-tenth (12%) of the women had terminated a pregnancy. Women aged 30-34 were more likely to terminate pregnancy compared to those aged 15-19 (OR=2.29; p=0.000). Women who were currently married were more likely to terminate a pregnancy compared to those who were never married (OR=1.87; p=0.002). Women who were not physically abused during pregnancy were less likely to terminate a pregnancy compared to those who were physically abused during pregnancy (OR=0.70; p=0.006). Women from Karamoja and Teso sub-regions were more likely to terminate a pregnancy compared to those in Kampala (OR=2.23; p=0.001 and OR=1.46; p=0.047 respectively), while those from Bugisu, Bunyoro and Ankole sub-regions were less likely to terminate a pregnancy compared to those from Kampala (OR=0.35; p=0.000, OR=0.51; p=0.002 and OR=0.62; p=0.042 respectively). Women who had ever given birth were also less likely to terminate a pregnancy compared to those who had ever given birth (OR=0.21; p=0.000). This study recommends that the Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development fast tracks implementation of the national policies on the elimination of GBV and actively engage men in the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). Policymakers, especially from the MoH, MoES, and Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology (MoICT) should emphasize regular sensitization of women on the dangers of pregnancy termination through radios, televisions and newspapers, as a strategy to reduce maternal mortality.